One day after Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots champion Delcrest Magicstar knocked off her foes in older competition, another pair of OSS graduates boasted similar stateside success.
Using Lasix for the second time, Lady Ping rolled to an easy front-end victory in 1:53.1, a career best, in Wednesday’s $18,000 Filly & Mare Winners Over $10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows.
Lady Ping won an early duel for the lead with Goodtogo Hanover and easily thwarted the first-over challenge of Panana Republic. She widened in the lane for Dave Palone and downed Goodtogo Hanover by 5-1/2 lengths, with Classical Annie third.
Ron Burke trains Lady Ping, a five-year-old daughter of Muscle Mass-Ping Putter who now boasts a lifetime bankroll of $241,091, for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
In Wednesday’s co-feature, a $17,000 Winners Over $10,000 Life Trotting Handicap, Crosbys Clam Bake made it two straight with a wire-to-wire triumph in 1:55 for Aaron Merriman and trainer Randy Bendis, who owns with Jack Piatt II and Tom Pollack. The seven-year-old Kadabra-Pacific Elegance gelding extended his career earnings to $561,382.
With five wins on the 12-race card, Merriman lifted his 2017 total to 995 in his quest to become only the fourth driver with 1,000 victories in a single season.
(with files from The Meadows)